Historic Porter's Bistro

The general Store was first built in 1888 at Murray's Corners; however it did not become Porter's General Store until sometime after that. P.Y. Porter bought the store in 1916 and opened it as his own. The store remained open during the Great Depression. Throughout this time, many customers were unable to pay their bills, and so many people were allowed an open line of credit. Their unpaid bills can still be seen in the McCaskey Files which are still on site. Following the Great Depression, and just prior to the beginning of WWII, the store was rebuilt and downsizing commenced. In 1947, after serving 2 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, Eldy Porter took over the store and continued operations until his sudden passing in 1997.

This building had been in the Porter family for over 90 years, and it still has all the original fixtures, floors, and cabinetry. You may notice some dips in the floor; these were caused by the weight of the counters. Porter's was also a Canada Post Office for 80 years, until its closure in 1998. In January of 2009, Porter's received its Heritage Building Status.

There's been a store at this site since 1888. P.Y. Porter started working there at age 14. In 1916, when he was 25, he purchased the place, naming it P.Y. Porter's. It was a general store with everything in it from hardware to clothing to dry goods. When Eldy Porter returned home after the Second World War his father made him a partner in P.Y. Porter and Son. Karen, PY's granddaughter, took over the store and renamed it: Porter's Coffee & Tea House

In 1997 the name changed to Porter's Coffee & Tea House. Along with the morning lattes and homemade muffins, Porter's still sells candies like it did in 1916. And a 1911 cash register is on the premises.

In 2011 Bill Buurmeester became the new owner. Bill is bringing in more music nights with local performers playing jazz, latin, Dixieland styles to add that local flavor to the area.